Discovering Southern Oregon – May 2024
I REALLY ENJOY talking to people who are new to Jacksonville or just in town for a weekend vacation. Frequently, they ask me about a good place to eat. Here are a few suggestions for Jacksonville restaurants that are owned and operated by locals who pour their heart and soul into providing great food and service. Writing this, I realized how many incredible food options we have.
Breakfast & Lunch: There are three great coffee shops in Jacksonville. GoodBean Coffee roasts and sells their own coffee beans and serves up a full breakfast menu, including my favorite, the jalapeno cheese bagel. Pony Espresso also offers a full breakfast, and my favorite is their breakfast burritos. For lunch they have delicious croissants and panini sandwiches, salads, and the best tomato bisque soup I’ve had. Cerberus Coffee has limited food offerings with an excellent quiche and great baked goods. New to Jacksonville is Churro Rush, offering Mexican chicken salad on a croissant, carne asada tortas and grilled cheese sandwiches, not to mention churros.
Lunch & Dinner: Bella Union has a great selection of Italian food, pizza, but my favorite is their fish, and house salad with their house dressing. I love the outside seating area shaded by the oldest wisteria vine I have ever seen. Back Porch Bar & Grill has been voted Southern Oregon’s best BBQ 7 years in a row and has the best hamburgers and brisket I have ever had! C Street Bistro is a favorite with locally-sourced food all made from scratch. They offer gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, craft pizza and, for dinner, a fish of the day, Scampi and Risotto. Umi Sushi has some of the best sushi, Japanese & Korean dishes around. La Fiesta boasts authentic Mexican cuisine with the best margaritas in town. They are located upstairs with a deck overlooking all of Jacksonville. My favorite is their ceviche. Las Palmas is also a local favorite family-owned restaurant. They are currently operating out of a food truck, until their restaurant is restored from a fire, and it looks like they will re-open midsummer. I love their shrimp enchiladas.
Dinner Only: We are lucky to have several high-end restaurants in Jacksonville. Gogi‘s Restaurant is a must dine experience where every bite is an explosion of flavor. They use local ingredients that make exquisite international cuisine. The Restaurant at Jacksonville Inn is new and nestled downstairs beneath the historic Jacksonville Inn. Upstairs at street level is the Jacksonville Inn Wine Lounge which is also new to Jacksonville. They offer a huge wine selection and lite bites such as bruschetta, flat breads, stuffed mushrooms, soups, and salads.
Lite Bites: In addition to the Jacksonville Wine Lounge, Jacksonville is full of wineries that offer lite bites. Remotion, Daisy Creek Vineyard, Hummingbird Estate, Dos Mariposas Vineyards, Awen Winecraft, and the new Somar Family Vineyards. Depending on your appetite, their offerings can be a complete lunch or dinner. Rellik Winery offers a large food selection of pizza’s, soups, salads, paninis, appetizers, and gourmet ice cream. DANCIN also offers a great selection of pizzas, flat breads, salads, soups, stuffed mushrooms, and desserts, all with a view of vineyards and the Rogue Valley. South Stage Cellars offers lite bites and with a reservation on Wednesday you can get a full dinner and live music. New to Jacksonville is Parkhurst Wine Cellars which has just updated their menu and added paninis, bruschetta, tri-tip sliders, duck tacos and a Sunday Brunch, featuring specialty benedicts, French toast, and sparkling wine cocktails. The Restaurant at Jacksonville Inn offers a gourmet brunch and DANCIN offers a fabulous brunch every other Sunday.
The next time you’re thinking of an enjoyable meal out, think about all your choices in Jacksonville. Whether your choice is a coffee shop, restaurant, or winery, you will find everything tastes better in Jacksonville!
Featured image is of Bella Union restaurant owners, Tom Bates and Christian Hamilton.